Childcare CPR & first aid requirements
First Aid & CPR Wisconsin
If you work in childcare in Wisconsin — whether at a daycare, preschool, home-based care, or camp — first aid and CPR certification is not optional. It's a licensing requirement, and for good reason: children are among the most vulnerable to choking, allergic reactions, and injuries. Being prepared to respond can mean everything.
What Wisconsin requires
Wisconsin's Department of Children and Families, through its Division of Early Care and Education, requires under Administrative Code DCF 251.05 that at least one person with current pediatric CPR and first aid certification be present at all times children are in care. That certification is expected to stay current, with staff renewing on roughly a two-year cycle. The rule is straightforward but firm: no child care operates without a certified responder in the room.
Anaphylaxis and medication administration
Wisconsin's DCF 251 rules require staff to complete medication-administration training and a dedicated anaphylaxis training program — renewed at least every four years — covering how to recognize anaphylaxis and how to store and administer an epinephrine delivery system. Any medication requires a signed parental Authorization to Administer Medication form, and epinephrine is stored readily accessible according to its instructions so it can be used the moment a reaction begins. That combination of trained staff and a ready auto-injector is precisely what a severe allergy demands.
How our courses meet these requirements
A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets Wisconsin’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.
Don't wait for renewal day
Anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest give a caregiver only seconds to act, and Wisconsin's rules — from CPR coverage to dedicated anaphylaxis training — are built to make sure someone in the room can. Certification turns those seconds into confident action and gives families the reassurance that their child is with people who know what to do. A recognized, standards-based course that blends online learning with a hands-on skills check meets DCF's requirements and keeps your license and your team ready together.